The present invention relates to a linear rolling motion guide apparatus particularly provided with a connection belt assembly for supporting rolling members continuously in series.
In a known linear rolling motion guide apparatus, a movable block (movable member) and a track rail (track member) are assembled to be relatively movable by a number of rolling members such as balls. The track rail is formed, along a longitudinal direction thereof, with a track along which the rolling members are rolled, and the movable block is formed with a rolling member circulation passage including a loaded track opposing (corresponding) to the track of the track rail when assembled. The rolling members are accommodated in an arranged state in the rolling member circulation passage and rolled on the track rail and circulated in the circulation passage, while being loaded load, in accordance with the relative motion between the track rail and the movable block.
With the known linear motion guide apparatus mentioned above, there is also provided a structure in which the rolling members are supported or held in series by a belt member having flexibility. According to such support structure, the generation of noises and abrasion which may be caused through the friction of adjacent rolling members can be prevented and the coming-off of the rolling members at a time of removing the movable block from the track rail can be also prevented.
The movable member is provided with linear guide portions along the loaded track for guiding side edge portions of the belt member projecting on both sides of the rolling members, and such guide portions are formed of a steel plate, for example, as a member independent from the movable block. Furthermore, a portion of the movable block to which the load is applied is formed of a metal material having a large mechanical strength and a portion to which any load is not applied is formed of a synthetic resin material. In such structure, the guide portion for guiding the belt member is formed of a synthetic resin (which may be called hereinlater merely resin) integrally with the movable block.
However, the fact that the guide portion is formed of the steel plate other than the material forming the movable block requires many parts or members and also requires another working for fastening the guide portions to the movable block by means of screws or the like after the formation of the movable block. Furthermore, it is troublesome and difficult to fasten the guide portions to the movable block by means of screws at a small space between the movable block and the track rail.
Incidentally, in the structure in which the resin guide portion is integrally formed with a resin portion of the movable block, there is required another working step for integrally molding the guide portions with the resin to a movable block body made of metal after the metal movable block body has been formed. Moreover, since the movable block is thus formed with the resin portion, it is inconvenient to use such movable block in a high temperature atmosphere or vacuum environment.